William A. Rockefeller, Sr.
Born: November 13, 1810
Died: May 11, 1906
Married: Eliza Davison Rockefeller
Children: Lucy, John D. Rockefeller, William A. Rockefeller, Jr., Mary Ann, Franklin, Francis
William Avery Rockefeller, Senior, was a purveyor of patent medicine who abandoned his family for months at a time while selling his wares. In 1859 he was charged with rape, and fled New York, living thereafter under an assumed name in a bigamous marriage. He died in 1906, and was buried in an unmarked grave in Illinois. His eldest son, John D., who would become the richest man of his era, grew up helping his mother manage household expenses.
He had no connection to the Adirondacks except through his offspring.
Sources:
- Peter Collier and David Horowitz, The Rockefellers, An American Dynasty, New York: Holt Rinehart and Winston, 1976, pp. 7 - 10
- Ron Chernow, Titan, The Life of John D. Rockefeller, New York:Random House, 1998
